Background
He was born in London, England in 1810.
Businessman director editor manager colonist
He was born in London, England in 1810.
He completed an apprenticeship with a printer, then came to Upper Canada in 1833 with his two brothers and settled on farms there.
In 1837, he went to Toronto in search of work. He joined the city guards during the Upper Canada Rebellion. In 1848, he became editor for the Toronto Patriot, owned by Edward George O"Brien.
In 1849, with Ogle Robert Gowan, he took over the operation of the paper.
They also published the United Empire. In 1858, he sold this paper and set up his own called the Atlas.
Later that same year, he bought the Colonist back. Thompson had also served on Toronto city council from 1849 to 1854.
After being accused of bias against French Canadians, he went back to Toronto in 1860.
He served as managing director for the Beaver Mutual Fire Insurance Association from 1860 to 1876, when it was forced to close because of a new requirement for insurance companies to provide a large security deposit to the government. Left in a difficult financial situation at the age of 66, he became manager for a branch of the city library. In 1884, he published Reminiscences of a Canadian pioneer: for the last fifty years, 1833-1883: an autobiography.
He died in Toronto in 1886.